In a poignant moment of closure, the family of US Air Force Sergeant David S Price laid him to rest more than 50 years after his death at Lima Site 85 in Laos during the Vietnam War. Price was among 13 US and 42 Thai soldiers killed when the top-secret CIA radar site was overrun by communist forces. The mission to find his remains was delayed due to efforts to conceal the CIA’s activities in Laos.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Operation Barrel Roll, a covert US bombing campaign in Laos that remains one of the most heavily bombed countries in history. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Laos as the first defense secretary to do so, attending a regional defense meeting amidst escalating tensions in the Asia Pacific region.
Operation Barrel Roll was a closely guarded secret until 1971, part of the US’s anti-communist efforts in Southeast Asia during the Cold War. With more bombs dropped on Laos than in all of World War II, the lasting legacy of the war includes millions of unexploded ordnance still threatening lives. Despite efforts to clear the bombs, Laos remains heavily contaminated, and it’s estimated that it will take 200 years to become UXO-free.
The Secret War in Laos also left a political legacy, with the ruling Lao People’s Revolutionary Party coming into power after defeating US-backed forces in the civil war. The closed-off nature of Laotian politics has persisted since, with little accountability to the outside world. The consequences of the US bombing campaign in Laos continue to resonate, not only in the physical scars left behind but also in the political landscape of the country and its enduring impact on the population.
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